


Perfection's Overrated

by aegicheols (treasuregyu)



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band), TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Getting Together, Humor, Romance, Slow Burn, idk if this counts as slow burn but i feel like i need more tags so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-23 22:20:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16627487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treasuregyu/pseuds/aegicheols
Summary: It didn’t take a genius to know that Chou Tzuyu was awkward with men—or maybe it did, considering how many men walked up to her on the daily, trying their hand at getting the chance to hold hers. Junhui wondered as he watched from across the library if it was her naturally polite nature that inflated every man’s ego on campus; Tzuyu was straightforward, blunt, almost to a fault, but she was also respectful and careful to not be rude. It was charming, and that was the exact reason why he was so drawn to her.





	Perfection's Overrated

**Author's Note:**

> this has been in the making since may lmao someone requested tzuhui forever ago on aff (i think) & i've been slowly working on this every now & again. and while i did read what i wrote before trying to pick it up every time, i always have the worry that some parts will sound disconnected, so i apologize beforehand if that's the case
> 
> OH, and pls don't cringe too hard at the weird emoji inserting during the texting bits, ao3 doesn't like emojis & i couldn't be bothered to make actual fake texts oof
> 
> regardless, i hope you enjoy ^^

It didn’t take a genius to know that Chou Tzuyu was awkward with men—or maybe it did, considering how many men walked up to her on the daily, trying their hand at getting the chance to hold hers. Junhui wondered as he watched from across the library if it was her naturally polite nature that inflated every man’s ego on campus; Tzuyu was straightforward, blunt, almost to a fault, but she was also respectful and careful to not be rude. It was charming, and that was the exact reason why he was so drawn to her.

 

Junhui got up from his seat with a heavy, irritated sigh as he slowly got into character and made his way across the library.

 

It was an interesting feeling, being weirdly captivated by someone like Tzuyu. Not in love, not even a crush, just...interested. He was interested in someone who was indisputably beautiful, someone who was dedicated to her studies almost suspiciously so, someone who had perfect posture, perfect demeanor, perfect appearance—seemingly perfect  _ everything _ . And maybe that was what inspired Junhui to also reach out his hand for Tzuyu to take hold of in her greatest times of need.

 

“Oh, you’re finally here, babe,” Tzuyu smiled wryly as she wasted no time sidling up to Junhui’s side, clutching at his shirt almost desperately so.

 

“I’ve been here for quite some time, baby, I just like watching you from afar. Makes me feel like one of  _ these _ guys, you know. A commoner.” Junhui smirked and gestured condescending towards the man in front of them. He scoffed and prepared to argue, but Junhui held up a hand at him. “Woah, woah, not so fast. We’re in a library, first of all, and even if we weren’t, I’d kick your ass in under a minute. Most importantly though,” Junhui stepped forward, face to face with the man that had been trying to hit on Tzuyu. “fighting right now would make  _ my _ girlfriend uncomfortable, and she is above any and everything else. Understand?”

 

Junhui and the guy glared at each other for a solid minute before the guy eventually gave up and pushed past Junhui, leaving in a huff.

 

“You’re getting better at this, I’m impressed...” Tzuyu turned towards Junhui with a quirked brow. As the guy left, it meant that the two of them were now alone in this particular corner of the library, and Tzuyu let out a sigh of relief as her facade fell with less grace than Chou Tzuyu was typically known for.

 

Tzuyu was indisputably beautiful, that much was true, but all of the pristine and grace that people knew her for was nothing more than a act that she put on as a hobby as far as Junhui knew. Chou Tzuyu hated studying and it showed in the way she had been silently cursing at the dusty books that she had to get for a paper that was due by the end of the week (it was Thursday). She slouched more often than not when not in the presence of others, she could be brazen and quick to tease, she made mistakes like any normal human being would.

 

She was awkward, she was imperfect—she was  _ human _ .

 

“I thought he was really going to start fighting me,” Junhui clutched at his chest and laughed nervously.

 

“You could have taken him.” Tzuyu glanced behind them and rolled her eyes before turning back. “Anyways, hold these, please. My throat is starting to get scratchy from all of this dust,” Tzuyu handed over the books she was holding to Junhui who took them with no complaint.

 

“Me?” Junhui scoffed, but without malice. “I don’t know how to fight, I don’t even exercise! Or play sports for that matter,” Junhui pouted as he followed Tzuyu in between more shelves.

 

“Maybe there was a chance he didn’t know how to fight either. It’s not uncommon for people to be all bark and no bite,” Tzuyu shrugged with a laugh, which quickly turned into a short bout of coughing.

 

“Why are you getting books again when the whole entire internet exists?” Junhui balanced the books he had in one arm before patting Tzuyu’s back with his now free hand.

 

“Because my Psych professor sucks  _ ass _ ,” Tzuyu choked out, coughing a bit more. “and only wants physical references for some godforsaken reason. Let’s go, I’m sick of this,” Tzuyu grimaced and hurried out of the aisles with Junhui in tow.

 

Junhui marvelled as he watched Tzuyu’s posture slowly change to one more upright the closer they got to the front desk of the Library where more people were. Her expression brightened and she looked entirely like she  _ wasn’t _ just coughing up ten years worth of dust (or more). The two of them left the front desk with quiet and polite ‘Thank You’s’ and then they were out of the Library and into fresher air. Tzuyu guided Junhui over to a nearby building so she could get some water from a water fountain before she actually  _ died _ (her words, not Junhui’s) and then they were off to find a place for Tzuyu to hurriedly start working on her paper.

 

✰✰✰

 

“This is going to kill me, I swear. I have nothing in my brain from this class,” Tzuyu groaned hours later when the two had moved from a nice and shady spot in the Quad to the cafeteria to get lunch. They picked a decently isolated area so that Tzuyu could alternate between digging into her burger and bashing her head against the window next to them in an attempt to get ideas to come into her brain for her paper. It was an interesting process to watch, and Junhui nearly choked several times due to the quick shifts from the bliss that came with consuming food to despair as Tzuyu realized over and over again that she hasn’t made any progress on her assignment.

 

“If it’s any consolation,” Junhui spoke up after taking a sip from his Cola. “I’m having a  _ grand _ time.”

 

Tzuyu groaned once again and looked around before raising her fist at Junhi. “You’re the worst friend ever, you know that right?”

 

Junhui smiled around his chicken. “But I’m the best fake boyfriend, don’t forget that!” He remarked with a full mouth causing Tzuyu to groan once more and actually swat at Junhui.

 

“You’re so disgusting,” Tzuyu sighed, running a hand through her hair. Junhui only giggled in response and continued eating while he watched Tzuyu take another stab at reading the books she checked out in hopes of getting  _ something _ from them.

 

And once again, this was one of Junhui’s favorite things to do. He loved to watch Tzuyu as she blurred the lines between her hobby image and her “true” self; she hated studying, but she’d be damned before she let herself fail—and Chou Tzuyu accepted nothing below a high C at the very  _ minimum _ . He loved to watch as her blank face became littered with various expressions at once before returning to it’s blank slate once more.

 

Tzuyu was human, of course she was, but everything she did was so captivating to Junhui and he lov—well, maybe he  _ was _ a bit more than just interested with her, but maybe “love” a bit of a stretch, also.

 

“You know, Tzuyu, I could help you on that paper,” Junhui spoke up after cleaning up his lunch mess. Tzuyu’s head shot up at him, eyes wide.

 

“What?” Is all that she replied. Junhui couldn’t tell what emotion she was feeling, or if Psychology had somehow managed to suck out all of her soul in the short time she had bothered to entertain the subject.

 

“I took Psych already, and I was really interested in it, too. Interested enough to minor in it actually,” Junhui smiled goofily at Tzuyu as her face fell in shock.

 

“Wen Junhui, you son of a bitch,” Junhui cackled as Tzuyu cursed at him in Mandarin.

 

“Son of a  _ bad _ bitch, thank you very much!” Junhui pointed out as he got up to throw away his and Tzuyu’s trash before returning. He casually slid her things over as he did so, sitting down with her laptop and haphazardly opened books in front of him. Luckily, Tzuyu had the requirements for her paper pulled up so Junhui read through it quickly—but thoroughly—and checked out the books she had gotten. He skimmed through the table of contents and bookmarked what seemed to be necessary chapters to pull information from, then he sent Tzuyu’s documents to himself. “I gotta get to class, but I’ll head back to my dorm afterwards and give this paper a go, okay?”

 

Tzuyu watched as Junhui packed the books she checked out into his bag with an expression that Junhui has, admittedly, never seen before. She didn’t answer him for a few minutes so Junhui bent down in front of her and waved his hand in her face in an attempt to get her attention. Tzuyu swatted his hand out of her face a lot softer than Junhui anticipated. “You don’t have to, Jun,”

 

“Of course not, but when I have the ability to, why wouldn’t I?” Junhui grinned and stood back up straight. “You always work so hard, Tzu, and not just in your studies.” Junhui slid his hand from under Tzuyu’s slowly with a soft chuckle. He gave her a quick wave and pat on the head before leaving Tzuyu to her own devices for the day.

 

✰✰✰

 

“ _ Oh my god, not again. _ ” Tzuyu mumbled to herself in Mandarin. Someone, presumably male, had sidled up next to her and even dared to be so bold and wrap his arm around her shoulders. “Excuse me, but—” Tzuyu stopped mid-sentence when she turned to face the person. The smell of their cologne had hit her late, but it hit her  _ hard _ .

 

“Wassup, buttercup!” The confirmed male exclaimed excitedly, hugging Tzuyu closer to him. Tzuyu froze, familiarity threatening to pull her in, but rationality fighting it’s damndest to keep her anchored.

 

“Jackson…” Tzuyu gulped, hyper aware of his presence that seemed to surround her completely, boxing her in despite them being outside. “What are you doing here? You’ve graduated,”

 

“Ey, Tzuyu, don’t sound so stiff!” Jackson chastised playfully. “I’m just here to pick up the bros, you know. Gyeom and Double B! We’re going to a sick party,”

 

“Ah, well, guess you should get to it then,” Tzuyu muttered as she finally thought to remove herself from Jackson’s arms.

 

“Wait, wait, wait.” Jackson pleaded in English, pulling Tzuyu back. “That’s it? No grand hugs or kisses or anything for your old boyfriend?”

 

Tzuyu scoffed. “We never dated, and you were  _ never _ my boyfriend. I’m sure you can remember making that very clear, Jackson,” Tzuyu tried once more to leave and head back to her dorm, but Jackson stopped her once again. This time, though, the grip on her wrist was a bit  _ too _ firm.

 

“Chill out,” Jackson remarked in English once again.

 

“Jackson, what the hell, leave me alone!” Tzuyu was starting to get annoyed, possibly a little panicked. Jackson hurt her feelings gravely once upon a time, yes, but he never hurt her physically—in fact, Jackson could be a lot of things, some unpleasant on occasion, but he was always respectful to women.

 

“I’m just trying to talk to you!” Jackson retaliated, pulling Tzuyu towards him with a tightening grip on her wrist. Tzuyu yelped out and and unconsciously flinched.

 

“Tzuyu?” A voice that was not Jackson’s called out and Tzuyu panicked. The last thing she needed, or wanted, right now was for someone to to see her like this (somewhere in the back of her mind, Tzuyu rolled her eyes at herself because her management of her priorities was severely lacking). All too sudden, Jackson is being pulled away from Tzuyu with little effort and she is being rounded up in someone’s arms.

 

This time, however, the scent of the person registered immediately and she fell into the familiarity headfirst.

 

“Who the fuck are you?” Jackson asked, irritated, and Tzuyu could see him debating with himself if he should challenge the other male or not for Tzuyu’s sake.

 

“I’m her boyfriend, who the hell are you?” Junhui repeated like usual, but this time he seemed genuinely upset. Tzuyu frowned deeply and clutched at the front of Junhui’s shirt.

 

“Oh really?” Jackson sneered then turned towards Tzuyu. “You really dating rejected toothpicks nowadays?”

 

“Wanna say that to my face?” Junhui gently moved Tzuyu aside and stepped up to Jackson with gusto and Jackson responded more than happily. The two pushed at each other repeatedly and Tzuyu panicked as Jackson got ready to throw the first punch. Without even thinking about it, Tzuyu ran in front of Junhui.

 

“Stop it!” She screamed, holding out her hands in front of her despite flinching slightly. Junhui’s arms were around her in seconds and he twirled Tzuyu around quick enough so that Jackson’s fist met his back. The two of them stumbled together, nearly falling, but Junhui did his best to keep them upright.

 

“Tzuyu, what the hell!? You could have been hurt because of this fucker!”

 

Tzuyu let out a sound of frustration and anger as she detangled herself from Junhui and walked up to Jackson. “Because of him? Need I remind you that  _ you _ were the one hurting me from the beginning? You fucked me over a year and a half ago, then you come back and act like none of it happened, squeezing my wrist until I literally cried out in pain.” Tzuyu seethed, poking into Jackson’s chest with every point she made. “Jackson Wang, you are an asshole in its truest form, and I don’t know what gave you any inclination that I wanted to speak with you. But if you needed me to say it loud and clear, then listen up bitch, because that’s what I’m best at. I do not want to see you, I do not want to talk to you, I’d rather forget that you existed. From this point on, we are nothing more than strangers and I never want to see you again. Understand?” Tzuyu stood up to Jackson, staring him down much like Junhui had done earlier that day for her. Jackson swiped a hand down his face, obviously calming down from his aggression, and he deflated completely.

 

Jackson attempted to say something several times, but Tzuyu only glared at him and gestured for him to leave, clearly having none of it. Jackson finally left a few moments later with a heavy sigh and lackluster wave of his hand. After Jackson was gone from their sight, Tzuyu deflated herself and whipped around to Junhui, rushing him in a hug.

 

“Where did you come from, idiot!?” She asked, face buried into his shoulder.

 

“My class was cancelled, so I came to find you. Figured you be on your way to your dorm since you don’t have any more classes today.” Junhui chuckled out, hugging Tzuyu back. “Should I ask who that was?”

 

Tzuyu pulled back and stared up at Junhui with an exhausted expression, and Junhui made sure to take the hint. “By the way, what happened to not being able to fight?”

 

Junhui shrugged and laughed again. “Humans have a fight-or-flight response, my body chose to fight,”

 

“You could have gotten hurt,” Tzuyu tried, gripping onto Junhui’s arms tightly.

 

“ _ You did get hurt _ ,” Junhui countered.

 

Tzuyu rolled her eyes for what seemed like the nth time that day. Maybe Junhui was rubbing off on her too much. “Yeah, but I was exaggerating...a little bit. Jackson’s like ten times your size—well, his muscles are, anyways. Regardless, I bet you’re going to have a bruise on your back by the end of today!”

 

This time, Junhi rolled his eyes and he moved Tzuyu’s hands from his arms so that he could rest his hands on her shoulders. “Look, Tzuyu, as long as you didn’t get hurt, it’s fine. The situation is dealt with, and it would have been dealt with either way. Now, let’s get you to your dorm so I can head back to mine and get started on that paper, yeah?” Junhui asked, but he wrapped an arm around Tzuyu’s shoulders and guided her back to her dorm building.

 

“This isn’t the last you’ll hear from me about this, Wen Junhui!” Tzuyu called, half of her hanging out of the door to the building.

 

Junhui snorted and waved at her dynamically. “I’m counting on it!” He chuckled goofily as he turned and rushed back to his own dormitory halfway across campus.

 

✰✰✰

 

“Chou Tzuyu, you are a weak woman, you know that?” Junhui casually took his place in front of Tzuyu at a table she was studying at in the library. This time her academic woes lied within Math, but math was easier to figure out than Psychology, so Tzuyu supposed it was the lesser of the evils.

 

Tzuyu looked up after finishing a problem with a blank look on her face; Junhui was starting to come to the conclusion that Tzuyu’s soul was not just being sucked out by  _ one _ subject, but it might have been  _ all _ subjects. “You better have a good reason for saying that or else I’ll have to teach you otherwise,”

 

“Is that a threat or a promise?” Junhui beamed at the unimpressed look he received from Tzuyu.

 

“I only make promises, how about that? Now what are you talking about?” Tzuyu asked as she returned to the problem, checking if she got the answer right (she did not).

 

“That Psych paper was  _ easy _ , and not just because that’s my specialty, but because it was literally drawing on the concepts presented earlier in the semester. You know, the  _ easy _ stuff. What have you been doing in that class?”

 

“Suffering, mostly.” Tzuyu answered, pretending to flip her Math textbook and her notes before leaning back into her chair. “Nayeon unnie told me not to take an 8am, even Jihyo unnie advised me not to, but did I listen?” Tzuyu lamented, her voice slowly losing it’s perfect edge as her sanity deconstructed.

 

“I don’t think so,” Junhui answered with a faux concerned chuckle. Tzuyu whisper-screamed into her hands before sitting back up.

 

“There’s no chance of you being a Math wizard either, is there?” Tzuyu pouted.

 

“I do favors, not work miracles,” Junhui pushed Tzuyu’s work away from him.

 

“Typical, men letting me down once again,” Tzuyu grumbled and rested on the table, arms crossed and her chin resting on them.

 

“I can’t do math, but the internet can. There are plenty of sites where you can probably find the answer to your problems, along with ways to solve it,” Junhui offered, copying Tzuyu’s action of resting on the table.

 

“You sound like a commercial,” Tzuyu chuckled, turning onto her cheek.

 

“Don’t worry, your time will come. Next year, you’ll be sending out these same automated messages to your underclassmen,”

 

“Too bad they won’t get a single paper from me.” The two of them chuckled once again and then they sat in silence. It was uncomfortable since the two of them sat in silence quite often, but there was a hint of tenseness there that Junhui couldn’t quite put his finger on—or possibly, it was something else—either way, the suspended  _ something _ had Junhui wracking his brain for something to say. “How’s your back?”

 

Junhui let all of the nerves that coiled up within that short moment go. “Oh, my back. It’s fine, duh,”

 

“What was that reaction, what did you think I was going to say?” Tzuyu sat up slightly, brows knitted together and a weird smile on her face.

 

“Oh, I don’t know, ‘let’s break up’?” Junhui resisted the urge to burst out into laughter when Tzuyu shot up from her seat and reached over the table and swatted at him.

 

“I’m being serious,” Tzuyu whined, uncharacteristically so, at least to Junhui it was. He was sure that when she was with her friends, she probably whined all the time. Probably.

 

“Me too—” Tzuyu stood up again and Junhui snorted and held out his hands in front of him. “Kidding! Kidding, kidding, kidding.”Junhui repeated so Tzuyu would take her seat again. “I don’t know, though, you made it feel all tense so I thought it was going to be something serious,”

 

“The wellbeing of your back  _ is _ serious.” Tzuyu’s facial expression shifted; the corner of her lips fell subtly and her eyebrows relaxed slightly, but they were still knitted. “Did it bruise? Does it hurt? Be honest with me, Junhui,”

 

Junhui licked at his lips and considered his options: continue to jokingly brush the incident off or actually get serious for once. He took another long look at Tzuyu’s face and he sighed softly. “It’s a bit bruised and it doesn’t hurt a lot. Just a dull ache if I don’t move too much. But Tzuyu, I promise it’s fine,” Junhui replied earnestly, reaching over the table to place a gentle hand on Tzuyu’s arm.

 

Tzuyu stared at Junhui, searching his face meticulously for any signs of lying, and when it all checked out, she slowly placed her hand onto his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Okay,” Tzuyu relented her worry to Junhui’s confidence and reassurance.

 

“Okay?” Junhui asked.

 

“Okay,” Tzuyu reaffirmed, bringing a small smile to her face.

 

“Maybe ‘okay’ will be our ‘always’,” Junhui joked as easily as ever.

 

Tzuyu rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her face and a chuckle or two escaping from her. “You’re the worst, Wen Junhui.”

  
  


✰✰✰

 

“So,” Minghao drawled out as he sketched out the foundation for his latest project for his Art class. “you and Tzuyu?”

 

“Oh, yeah dude, what’s up with that?” Sicheng swooped in, turning towards Junhui slightly. Minghao scolded him for moving, so he turned back to stare blankly in front of him.

 

“What are you guys talking about?” Junhui shifted from his back to his side on his bed.

 

“You’re friends with  _ The _ Chou Tzuyu, that’s what we’re talking about,” Sicheng answered, resisting the urge to move a muscle.

 

“And before you say that it’s not a big deal, it’s a huge deal, everyone and their entire family generation knows it.” Minghao stopped sketching and stared between his canvas and Sicheng before allowing the older to rest. “Talk around campus has made it very clear that you’re the only man in existence that could ever get close to Tzuyu without her looking like she’s planning your murder as you speak,”

 

“Tzuyu has her reasons for that,” Junhui sat up.

 

“And let’s not ignore how you’re suddenly her boyfriend apparently? What the fuck kind of magic did you use on her? Did you drug her? I’ve almost called the police on you once, I’ll do it again!” Sicheng exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Junhui.

 

Junhui gasped and sputtered, putting his hands up in front of him. “What the hell, Cheng!? You almost called the police on me? When?”

 

“Ignore him. I don’t know why he’s so worked up about this, it’s not like he’ll be shooting for any Chou Tzuyu’s in his lifetime,” Minghao grinned.

 

“That’s because I  _ am _ the Chou Tzuyu of my lifetime, bitch,” Sicheng scoffed, threatening to shove at Minghao’s easel with his foot. Minghao laughed and pulled his easel away with quick apologies.

 

“So what is the point of this conversation, really?” Junhui asked, snapping at the two to get their attention once more.

 

“The point is, Junnie,” Sicheng started, dramatically turning towards Junhui. “what the hell is going on between you and Tzuyu? I mean, you did her Psych paper for her. You hated Psychology with every fiber of your being and you barely managed to turn your own papers in on time. Yet, for some reason, you stood up all night writing the best damn Psychology paper you’ll ever turn in for who now?”

 

“For Chou Tzuyu,” Minghao answered, just as dramatically as Sicheng had asked.

 

“That was me merely helping out a friend—” Junhui tried to defend himself, but Sicheng wasn’t having it. Junhui looked to Minghao for help, but the younger was enjoying everything way too much.

 

“A friend! How in the world did you get Chou Tzuyu to be  _ your friend _ ?” Sicheng threw his hands up in their air.

 

Junhui sighed and laid back down, feeling very exhausted by the chaotic energy his friends were forcing upon him. “Well, it helps when you’re the only guy on campus—that isn’t entirely attracted to men—that isn’t hitting on her. I helped out one day last semester when a guy was being a bit too aggressive, then I apologized if I made her uncomfortable, she waved it off and thanked me, and we were on our own ways. Except, I kept running into her, she kept running into me, guys kept trying to hit on her even when she wasn’t interested. We kind of built up this system based off of silently, yet carefully placed trust,”

 

“Better love story than Twilight, I’d say,” Minghao giggled.

 

“It’s not a love story,” Junhui pointed out weakly.

 

“Oh, it’s definitely a love story.” Sicheng grinned, clapping excitedly. Junhui opened his mouth to say something, but once again, Sicheng wasn’t having it and Minghao wasn’t going to back him up on this either. So Junhui sighed, turned back towards the wall, and continued scrolling through his phone as he ignored his best friends wistfully planning his and Tzuyu’s future wedding that  _ wasn’t _ going to happen—especially not when the theme of said wistful future wedding was  _ animal print. _

 

✰✰✰

 

“Hey, Tzuyu, quick question!” Sana smiled deceptively sweet as she curled her arms around the younger’s shoulders.

 

Tzuyu frowned exaggeratedly and pulled Sana’s arms off of her. “What is that, unnie?” Tzuyu asked unsurely. She looked at Sana and then towards the rest of her friends that have suddenly appeared before her. All of the girls had taken their places in the shady grass under the tree that Tzuyu liked to sit, laying on top of one another in order to avoid facing the sun.

 

“When did I raise you to be a  _ hetero! _ ” Sana called out accusingly, very offended.

 

“Sana unnie, please.” Jihyo pushed Sana aside with an exasperated sigh. “I know you’re already doing it, but ignore that Tzuyu. What she meant to say is, what are these rumors going around about you and... _ somebody _ ?”

 

“There’s rumors going around about me?” Tzuyu chewed on her snack slowly, something unpleasant settling in her soul.

 

“They’re not bad rumors, don’t worry.” Chaeyoung was the next one to wrap her arms around Tzuyu, and Tzuyu allowed it. “Just that you’re dating some guy. When did that happen?”

 

“Oh,” Was all that Tzuyu cared to say.

 

“Oh?” All eight of her friends reiterated as a question, urging for more.

 

“We’re just...friends,” Tzuyu followed up unhelpfully.

 

“You don’t sound too sure about that,” Nayeon smiled teasingly.

 

“I refuse to make any further commentary, any questions that you have beyond this point will have to be taken up with my lawyer,” Tzuyu recited in a monotone voice. The girls around her groaned and nudged at Tzuyu for more information, but she wasn’t spilling.

 

“Actually, I know the guy.” Jeongyeon chimed after the rest had almost given up. “He’s in my film class!”

 

“What’s his name, his height, his weight, his birthday, his blood type, and his location. I just wanna talk,” Momo listed, her pronunciation becoming incredible.

 

“Chill, Momo,” Jeongyeon laughed, pushing at the other girl. “anyways, his name is Wen Junhui,”

 

“I heard that guy was a model? Or was it an actor? Maybe both!” Dahyun gasped, eyes wide. The rest of the girls buzzed at the idea of Junhui being a spectacular celebrity—all except Jihyo. Jihyo moved over to take a seat beside Tzuyu.

 

“Now that they’re preoccupied,” Jihyo joked, resting her head on Tzuyu’s shoulder. “just friends?”

 

Tzuyu rested her head on top of Jihyo’s and sighed. “I don’t know anymore. I don’t want to know,”

 

Jihyo took ahold of Tzuyu’s hand and stroked her thumb over it slowly and softly. “I heard Jeong mention how he wasn’t a bad guy before, and you know how she has that knack for picking out the best people in a crowd. We’re her friends after all.” Jihyo laughed and Tzuyu chuckled softly. “I’ve also heard how this guy is always there for you when you need him, helping you get away from overly persistent guys,”

 

“Yeah,” Tzuyu muttered fondly.

 

“I don’t know what you two have, or if you’ll even have something more than friendship, but either way—” Jihyo pulled away and looked Tzuyu in her eyes. “I don’t think Wen Junhui is going to be another... _ you know who _ . So keep what you two have, Tzuyu, and treasure it, okay?” Jihyo patted Tzuyu’s hand and gave her a warm smile.

 

“Okay,” Tzuyu agreed, pulling Jihyo into a tight hug before the two of them rejoined the rest of the girls in whatever conversation they had managed to switch to by this point.

 

✰✰✰

 

“Long time no see, mon chéri,” Junhui slid up to Tzuyu at her favorite table hidden in the depths of the library. He grinned as he sat down and noticed the snacks that she smuggled in; there were a lot, and as he was scanning over the mess spread across the table in front of them, he caught a glimpse of a takeout tray partially hidden in her book bag. “What subject is sucking your soul out this time?”

 

“Still Math,” Tzuyu grumbled, aggressively ripping apart a sour gummy worm before eating one of the halves.

 

“Alright, I’m no math expert, but let’s see if we can work through this together.” Junhui got up from his seat across Tzuyu and slid across the table instead of going around. Tzuyu huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes at him, but she made no comment on it and simply handed over the other half of the gummy worm. “Math must really be bad for you to not make a single comment  _ and _ offer me your snacks,”

 

“Shut  _ up _ , it’s the least I could do...literally,” Tzuyu shoved at Junhui before moving her snacks out of the way and brought her work closer. Tzuyu went over everything she was struggling with and Junhui listened intently, trying his best not to let his mind wander like it usually did when math was involved. Afterwards, he tried his previous method of searching for help online, which he ended up scanning through webpage after webpage looking for  _ some _ kind of help. There was a point where Tzuyu almost gave up and started packing up her bags to go try and snag a tutor, but Junhui captured her hand in his without hesitation and pulled her back gently with soft apologies coupled with newfound determination that they’d find  _ something _ eventually. Tzuyu looked at their hands, gave Junhui’s a squeeze, then sat back down.

 

It took a few more tries and several altered google searches later before the two of them managed to find a site that had all the answers to their problems...literally.

 

“I knew it!” Junhui exclaimed quietly, pumping a fist into the air.

 

“I can’t believe I almost gave up on you. I’m impressed,” Tzuyu laughed. Her mood had brightened considerably as she quickly bookmarked the site for safe-keeping before scrolling through it.

 

Junhui casually wrapped his arm around around Tzuyu’s shoulder and brought her closer to him. Tzuyu, startled, fell into Junhui’s side more than she normally would have. “I’m practically your hero at this point, right?”

 

“Don’t push it,” Tzuyu elbowed Junhui playfully before righting herself and getting to work. Junhui reached for Tzuyu’s snacks then settled in and watched as she worked with an enthusiasm he’s never seen before. The silence that fell between them was as comfortable as ever, even more so as Junhui couldn’t stop himself from giggling at Tzuyu’s little sounds of understanding and the two would shortly go back and forth before Tzuyu would return to studying and Junhui would return to observing.

 

The two remained like that for a while, until Tzuyu sat back in her seat with a satisfied sigh. “I’ve finally, finally,  _ finally _ filled in all of holes in my brain,”

 

“You should have seen a doctor about those brain holes,” Junhui joked around a mouthful of noodles from the takeout he asked Tzuyu about somewhere along the way.

 

Tzuyu looked at Junhui with a small quirk of her lips—something like a smirk. Junhui was proud, honestly. “Who needs doctors when you have Wen Junhui. You’re my hero after all.” Junhui grinned and pounced on Tzuyu, pulling her into him again. The two of them laughed out loud before shushing each other and hurriedly putting the snacks and food away just in case someone were to come complain about the noise. The two of them had just finished putting up all of Tzuyu’s snacks (some sought refuge in Junhui’s rather empty backpack) when one of the workers at the library came to inquire about the noise. 

 

Tzuyu turned on her charm and explained how Junhui—who she referred to as her boyfriend, which was probably a reflex considering the worker before them was male—helped her finally figure out some work she had been really struggling with for a while now and they both got a little overexcited. The two of them apologized sincerely, stepping a bit closer together because the guy  _ had _ been looking at Tzuyu a certain way. Eventually, the guy left and Tzuyu continued packing up her things, mindful not to let her snacks make too much noise in case the worker was still nearby. When everything was situated, the two made their way out of the library, allowing themselves to breakdown in a fit of more giggles.

 

“That was close, huh?” Junhui nudged at Tzuyu, hand on his chest in relief.

 

“Almost had my perfect image ruined.” Tzuyu complained quietly with a pout. Junhui was the one to roll his eyes this time, paired with an exaggerated sigh. “Don’t act like that!” Tzuyu whined, grabbing onto Junhui’s sleeve. 

 

“What’s with your perfect image anyways? Isn’t that tiring?” Junhui asked once the two were out of the building and surrounded by less potential listeners. Tzuyu started to answer, but she closed her mouth abruptly. Junhui gave her a look and glanced around them to see if there was anyone nearby. There was no one around them that would have been suspiciously lingering a bit too close, so he turned back to Tzuyu and she looked contemplative. “U—Uh…? Earth to Tzuyu?” Junhui waved a hand in front of Tzuyu’s face, which she almost immediately swatted out of the way.

 

“About my image...how about we meet up somewhere for dinner later? As a nice payback...or something…” Tzuyu had mumbled the last part so Junhui didn’t quite catch it, but the prospect of getting dinner as payback was more than enough to have him agreeing.

 

“Sure! How about that place you got that takeout from? It was too good for me to just live on your scraps,”

 

“No one told you to eat my scraps,” Tzuyu countered with a pout.

 

“Well you offered, it’d be rude to refuse,” Junhui snickered.

 

“You’re something else, Wen Junhui…” Tzuyu smiled then dug out her phone from her pocket. “We haven’t exchanged numbers yet, right? I think it’s about time, Instagram DMs will only get us so far,” Junhui chuckled and took out his phone as well; the two exchanged numbers and Tzuyu promised to text him the time and place to meet up later when she got out of her last class of the day.

 

“See you later, alligator!” Junhui waved with a goofy smile, wholeheartedly expecting Tzuyu to roll her eyes at him.

 

Tzuyu turned back around to face Junhui and waved back him just as obnoxiously as he was. “In a while, crocodile!” Tzuyu called back, her smile wide enough to show her dimple. Tzuyu’s display of silliness only lasted a few moments because she cringed at herself and turned around immediately, rushing to her final class.

 

Junhui stood there stunned for a moment, his hand slowly descending back down to his side. Tzuyu was silly all the time, Junhui knew that for a fact, he was one of the few people who got to see that side of her. But seeing her waving so dynamically with the brightest smile on her face made her look glowing, and it made Junhui’s breath get caught up in something he was trying to ignore after that talk with Sicheng and Minghao. He acknowledge that he was a little more than just interested in Tzuyu, but after that talk, he couldn’t help but feel like there was an even deeper layer to his interest, his fascination, his captivation.

 

Junhui sighed, clutching at his chest. “Oh boy…” He muttered to himself as he turned around finally and headed off to the dance studio.

 

✰✰✰

 

Junhui entered the dance studio in a bit of a rush. He had started overthinking on his way over and much unlike himself, he started freaking out about a lot of things.

 

“Woah, Junjun, calm down,” Soonyoung said through heavy breaths as he was startled by Junhui’s sudden presence in the room. 

 

“Sorry, but fellas, is it hetero—” Junhui started, but was quickly cut off.

 

“Yes, yes it is. What happened with Tzuyu? Also, what happened to “It’s not a love story”?” Minghao spat out quickly, moving over to Junhui from his place on the couch. Junhui groaned and leaned into Minghao.

 

“What is happening?” Chan came out from one of the storage closets with towels for everyone. The youngest placed them on the couch before joining the little huddle around Junhui.

 

“Jun is feeling hetero for Tzuyu?” Soonyoung recounted to his friend, then he gasped, bringing his hands up to his mouth with wide eyes. “ Like  _ the _ Chou Tzuyu?” Soonyoung whispered out.

 

Chan gasped as well, mouth forming a small ‘o’. “Did you save the world in your past life or something, hyung?” Minghao giggled as Junhui groaned again and rose his head from Minghao’s shoulder.

 

“Guys, please. Tzuyu is a human being just like everyone else.” Junhui’s scolded exasperatedly with brows knitted together. “But yes, I am feeling hetero feelings for her, I admit it, Hao,” Junhui rolled his eyes and sighed.

 

“I feel like there’s a problem here somewhere?” Chan took a few steps towards Junhui and placed a hand on the older’s shoulder.

 

“Yes, there is, Chan. You really are a smart kid,” Junhui smiled genuinely at Chan and ruffled his hair. Chan whined and swatted his hands away.

 

“I don’t actually believe there is a problem, I think Junhui’s just being a coward,” Minghao shrugged.

 

“Those are fighting words, Hao,” Soonyoung chimed in helpfully.

 

“Anyways, let’s say—in an extremely hypothetical situation—that Tzuyu offered me dinner later, what would you call that...hypothetically?”

 

“A date,” The other three said in unison, though with different tones, almost immediately—Minghao’s response was flat, as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world; Chan answered almost like he was presenting a question; and Soonyoung answered in a whisper after short, soft gasp. Junhui closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

 

“You’re going on a date with Chou Tzuyu…” Soonyoung reiterated, still whispering in disbelief.

 

“Not a date…” Junhui corrected.

 

“You don’t sound too sure about that,” Minghao smirked, bursting out into giggles when Junhui got flustered.

 

“Whatever it is, hyung, good luck. Tzuyu may be just a human like everyone else, but it’s undeniable that she’s a lot harder to get closer to than most people. Especially with guys,” Chan pat Junhui on his back before returning back to dancing, Soonyoung and Minghao agreeing with the youngest. Junhui sighed and stood in place for a moment before finally moving over to the couch in the studio to think, deciding not to dance his worries away since he  _ was _ meeting Tzuyu at some point.

 

✰✰✰

 

Tzuyu arrived at her last class early, thankfully. She took a seat in her usual spot, placed her bag next to her just in case, then immediately pulled out her phone.

 

**choutzuyu:** you guys, i’m going to make a mistake later

 

**dubudubu:** great, i’m proud of you!

 

**babybeastmode:** unnie,,,,please,,,,

**babybeastmode:** but what mistake are you gonna make? lol

 

**choutzuyu:** i asked junhui out to dinner later

**choutzuyu:** so you can guess

 

**dubudubu:** treating people that isn’t me to a meal IS a mistake

**dubudubu:** glad you know that, tzuyu

 

**babybeastmode:** anyways,,

**babybeastmode:** showing vulnerability is not a mistake tzuyu!

 

**dubudubu:** it is when it’s a man!

 

**babybeastmode:** for once, you’re not wrong

 

**choutzuyu:** true @ unnie

**choutzuyu:** sounds like fake news @ chaeng

**choutzuyu:** what if he doesn’t….you know

 

**dubudubu:** he wrote a WHOLE ASS PAPER for you tzuyu

**dubudubu:** he helped you with MATH

**dubudubu:** if you don’t take him, i might just consider it!

 

**babybeastmode:** here’s a hot take for you!

**babybeastmode:** junhui didn’t even like psych!

**babybeastmode:** & it sure as hell isn’t his minor,,,

 

**dubudubu:** don’t trust him tzuyu, he’s a liar

 

**choutzuyu:** how do you even know that chaeng?

 

**dubudubu:** don’t ignore me

 

**babybeastmode:** i have insider intel

 

**dubudubu:** isn’t that redundant…?

 

**choutzuyu:** [knife emojis]

**choutzuyu:** spill, or your blood will

 

**dubudubu:** holy shit lmao

 

**babybeastmode:** yOU’LL NEVER MAKE ME TELL NOW THAT YOU THREATENED ME

**babybeastmode:** WHAT THE HELL TZUYU????????

 

**choutzuyu:** p-pwease?

**choutzuyu:** :;(∩´﹏`∩);:

 

**dubudubu:** kill me.

**dubudubu:** spill my blood tzuyu.

**dubudubu:** do it.

 

**babybeastmode:** do you think i could get an excused absence for this DISGUSTING display of uwu?

 

**dubudubu:** probably fam

 

**choutzuyu:** i hate you both

 

Contrary to her words, Tzuyu sent the message with a smile on her face. She locked her phone and set it aside after both Dahyun and Chaeyoung noted that their classes were beginning, and decided to occupy her time with setting up her materials for class.

 

“You’re real early today, huh?” Tzuyu startled and she whipped her head around. Her shoulders relaxed when she realized who it was: Elkie, one of Tzuyu’s few good friends from outside of her long-time circle.

 

“You are too, though,” Tzuyu chuckled and removed her bag from the seat beside her.

 

“Well, you know.” Elkie laughed and took her seat beside Tzuyu as always. “So, you already know what I’m going to ask right?”

 

“About Junhui?” Tzuyu tensed slightly, pausing while pulling her pens out of her bag.

 

“Yep!” Elkie answered in English, with an excited pop of the ‘p’ at the end. “I heard he’s a bit of a nutcase, but he’s a  _ hot _ nutcase—”

 

“ _ Elkie _ ,” Tzuyu scolded, voice a bit loud and sharp. Tzuyu gasped immediately after though, and she apologized profusely to the other woman. “Sorry about that…I just...I don’t know…”

 

“No, girl,  _ I’m _ sorry.” Elkie wrapped her arms around Tzuyu and gave her a tight hug. “I thought the rumors about you two were, well, just rumors...Is he really your boyfriend?”

 

Tzuyu pursed her lips and she glanced away. “No…”

 

“That’s the sketchiest no I’ve ever heard from you, and that’s saying  _ a lot _ ,”

 

“Seriously, we’re not dating…” Tzuyu quite obviously had more to say, but she stopped herself once again.

 

Elkie rested her elbow onto the table and leaned her chin into her hand. “I know there’s a lot you’re not telling me, but I’ll just leave it for now. But don’t think you’re off the hook, Chou Tzuyu!” Elkie sighed in defeat and beamed at Tzuyu, quickly changing the conversation to something else.

 

✰✰✰

 

**choutzuyu:** hey, are you busy right now?

 

**junhui (my hero):** nope! what’s up?

 

**choutzuyu:** want to meet up by the gate near that weird art statue, then?

**choutzuyu:** for our dinner plans, btw

 

**junhui (my hero):** sounds cool

**junhui (my hero):** can’t wait to empty your wallet!

 

**choutzuyu:** don’t push it [rolling eyes emojis]

 

**junhui (my hero):** [tongue sticking out emojis]

 

Tzuyu huffed and looked over herself once more in the mirror in her dorm before heading out. She initially didn’t intend to make this dinner a big deal, but the more she had looked at herself in the mirror before, the less confident she felt in her appearance. It was unlike her, really, to be so caught up in those kinds of things...except, it wasn’t totally unlike her at all, she thought with a grim snort. Not with the way she keeps her posture straightened, her smile set, and her snarkiness hidden away.

 

Tzuyu sighed. “It’s probably really bad that I feel like I  _ need _ to see him right now, but I don’t care...” Tzuyu muttered after pulling herself out of her thoughts.

 

On her way out of her dorm door after one last appearance check, she thought about how Junhui knew more of her than anyone else—well, except her friends, of course—and he still enjoyed her company. Even with her blank faces, her occasional clipped tones, her more often than not bouts of childishness—Junhui appreciated it all, and he melded with Tzuyu’s ever changing moods like it was the most natural thing in the world to him. And that was something that Tzuyu couldn’t stop herself from falling into, not like she wanted to anyways.

 

“Oh, wow, we got here at the same time,” Tzuyu’s eyes locked on Junhui as he jogged over to her with a big smile on his face.

 

“Strange, but not unwelcome.” Tzuyu laughed, anticipating Junhui wrapping his arm around her shoulder and moving into his side with ease. The sudden lack of playful displeasure took Junhui back slightly, but he followed it up with a little grin and awkward chuckle. “One step closer to eating good food and talking freely...a perfect dinner, really,”

 

“I made sure to practice extra hard today to build up an appetite. I meant it when I said I was going to empty your wallet, you know,” Junhui joked away his awkwardness and Tzuyu rolled her eyes.

 

“I’d like to see you try,” She replied with a smile and a quirk of her brow as the two made their way to the campus bus stop.

 

✰✰✰

 

The ride to the restaurant Tzuyu intended on taking Junhui to was a lot less awkward than either of them (secretly) thought it’d be.

 

Since it was a weekday evening, not many people were packed on the bus, ready to head out for the whole night. The few passengers that were on the bus were probably some of the few individuals that didn’t know who Tzuyu was because none of them turned their heads at the sight of her and Junhui together.

 

“Today must be our lucky day, huh?” Junhui whispered as quietly as possible as the two sat in their desired seats. Junhui urged Tzuyu to take the window seat, which she happily did, and he took his place beside her.

 

“So far, yeah,” Tzuyu answered distractedly.

 

Junhui waited until the bus started up again and pulled off before he replied. “You seem tense...Are you worrying about talking about your image? I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, Tzuyu, I’ll understand. It’ll change nothing about us.” Tzuyu gasped; it was completely noticeable, especially when she began to choke on her own sudden intake of air. Junhui panicked quietly as he pat at her back, muttering under his breath about how he should have brought his bag with him so he could offer her some water. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah...I’m fine, please ignore that that ever happened…. _ Please _ ,” Tzuyu flushed a deep red which made Junhui laugh a bit louder than he probably should have. Tzuyugroaned when one of the other passengers turned their way, but she couldn’t help busting out into her own bout of quiet laughter seeing Junhui’s embarrassed face as he hunched over as much as he could to hide behind the seat in front of them.

 

Tzuyu seemed to have loosened up after that affair and the conversation between the two of them to the restaurant was much like their usual talks—playful back and forth with quips of Mandarin thrown out here and there. The two of them were so caught up in each other that they almost missed the chance to get off at the right stop.

 

“This place is nice.” Junhui whistled as he walked into the restaurant behind Tzuyu. “I guess only the finest for Princess Tzuyu,”

 

Tzuyu sighed and glared at Junhui. “Shut up,” She replied to his comment with little to no bite at all.

 

“I guess my remarks aren’t as fresh as they used to be…?” Junhui whispered and snorted behind Tzuyu. Tzuyu ignored him, too preoccupied with talking with the waitress to get them seated. However, she didn’t forget to shove him slightly as they went on their way to their seats. The two of them thanked the waitress after she gave them menus and took their drink orders. The two of them—well, more like Tzuyu—danced around the actual topic of the night until their food arrived and they were left to their own devices.

 

“You’re getting more and more awkward as this dinner goes on, so I guess you’re ready to talk?” Junhui spoke up first, voice soft and reassuring. 

 

“I don’t think I’ll be ready ever.” Tzuyu laughed slightly bitterly. “And it’s stupid, really...There are people with much bigger problems, yet here I am, crying over how people perceive me…”

 

“It’s not stupid. If it’s affected you this much as to change who you really are, then it’s significant enough. You shouldn’t have to feel otherwise. Everyone in this world has their own problems, and no matter what they are, they shouldn’t be compared, you know,” Junhui stopped eating and reached across their table to take Tzuyu’s hand. Their fingers intertwined a bit too naturally, but neither of them could be bothered to be too embarrassed about it.

 

Tzuyu took a deep breath and stared at Junhui. “Alright, well...Like I said, it’s not really that big of a deal, but all throughout school, I’ve been seen as someone that was cold or uncaring. It was always something that I hated, because that wasn’t me, but I didn’t know how to show people what the real me was…I decided to come to Korea because my friends and teachers back home always said it was a good opportunity, especially since I was a bit interested in the music, but it didn’t stop me from struggling with trying to communicate with others...”

 

“So when did the change happen then?”

 

“A year ago, actually. I decided to reinvent myself, though it was kind of awkward. Always being alert and hyper aware of how I looked was foreign to me, but it proved to be worth it—people liked me a lot more, they were nice, it was all so nice,” Tzuyu’s words trailed off a bit as she recounted how differently she was treated just from a few tweaks to her personality.

 

“This seems like it should be a good change, right? But I don’t think so...I mean, if you have to have an on-off switch, then I don’t think you should have changed at all. You should start being yourself more before you forget who you are, which I know sounds dramatic, but it’s true...Trust me,”

 

“Sounds like there’s a story there,” Tzuyu looked at Junhui, slightly concerned.

 

“Well, if you must know—” Junhui started.

 

“Yes, I must,” Tzuyu interrupted cheekily.

 

Junhui smiled and rolled his eyes. “The same thing happened to me back when I first transferred to Korea. The other kids always thought I was trying to be cool for some reason, but I swear I was never like that...I was probably the least cool person to exist ever back then.” Junhui chuckled, holding no resentment towards his past really, which eased Tzuyu’s worry a bit. “So, I started acting goofier and a lot more childish, which seemed to make everyone happier with me. That was all fine until it really changed who I was. If I’m not being weird or goofy, then I feel wrong, which sucks…”

 

“I like you both ways.” Tzuyu said before she could stop herself. Junhui choked on his food that he remembered to start eating again and glanced up at Tzuyu. “I-I mean—No, I meant what I said, actually...Whether you’re joking around or not, I think you’re charming either way. Being with you always makes me feel better, lighter. Whether we’re both pretending or we’re not, everything always just feels so... _ okay _ . I just...I like you a lot, I guess,”

 

“O-Oh,” Junhui froze, probably concerningly so. He knew the implications that a simple “Oh” could hold when it came to confessions, and he wished he could have done  _ something _ to alert to Tzuyu that he was just malfunctioning and that he would get back to her in a moment, but he couldn’t.

 

“Take your time,” Tzuyu huffed out a laugh and resumed eating her food, an air of nonchalance about her, but her shaky hands and distracted chewing said otherwise. The sight stopped Junhui’s malfunction all on its own, because it just reminded him of what he liked so much about Tzuyu.

 

“I like you too,” The confession came out breathless with a nervous laugh afterwards. Tzuyu swallowed her food a bit too quickly which made her choke a bit. She hurriedly sipped at her water then finally looked up at Junhui, eyes wide and mouth slightly hung open.

 

“Don’t be too surprised, I did a whole Psych paper for you. And I don’t know if you know this, but I  _ hate _ Psychology,” Junhui stated like it was a big reveal only to be shocked when Tzuyu recited the same sentiment alongside him. It was his turn to stare at her, shocked, and he quirked a brow at her.

 

“I’ve known for a while now. One of my friends, Chaeyoung, told me. I asked her how she knew, but all she told me was that she had “insider intel”, whatever that means,” Tzuyu grinned, amused by Junhui’s face.

 

“Chaeyoung…” Junhui muttered to himself a few times, tapping his chin and ruffling his hands through his hair trying to remember  _ something _ until it hit him. “Chaeyoung! Minghao mentions that name every now and again. I guess they’re friends? Who would’ve thought, huh…”

 

“Minghao...I’ve heard part of that name. Chaeng always talks about this guy in her class, Hao, and how his art style was captivating or that he defended her when other students tried to take jabs at her particular art style. I kind of zoned out because she’d always go into Art jargon that I honestly could care less about,” Junhui snorted as Tzuyu rolled her eyes and sipped at her drink more. He wished he could have taken a picture because it would have made the perfect reaction image. Maybe he’d try later on in their relationship.

 

“You’re such a loving best friend, a real gem,” Junhui teased and finally resumed eating his dinner that has gone a bit cold, unfortunately.

 

“Thank you.” Tzuyu smirked. “Be prepared to be my boyfriend, because you might just get even better treatment,”

 

“Jokes on you, that turns me on,” Junhui whispered, and he laughed unabashedly when Tzuyu gasped and flushed, kicking him repeatedly—yet not hard enough to hurt him—under the table.

 

✰✰✰

 

Junhui and Tzuyu travel back to Tzuyu’s dorm with arms wrapped around each other and empty hands carrying takeout boxes. Despite it being well into the evening, the couple did end up passing by a few late class stragglers, and while Tzuyu would normally separate herself from Junhui, she kept close and casually waved to anyone she happened to know as they passed, ignoring their stares that varied from confused to shocked.

 

“Today has been an eventful day, huh?” Junhui commented as they stood idly in Tzuyu’s dorm elevator, waiting to reach her floor before getting off and walking to her dorm door.

 

Tzuyu hummed in response. “Sure has, but it’s been a good day nonetheless. A great day,” She said as he turned to look at Junhui upon them reaching her dorm door.

 

“An amazing day, even.” Junhui followed up, voice soft as he brought a hand up to stroke a bit of hair out of Tzuyu’s face before resting his hand on her cheek. Tzuyu smiled, soft and small, as she leaned into his touch. Neither knew where these bouts of affection came from, and they both silently wondered if these actions were subconscious desires of theirs. Either way, it all just felt right, so neither of them minded. “You know...I’m counting this as our first date,”

 

“Of course, our friends will remember it like that anyways, so why object?” Tzuyu replied and they both laughed, hushed as to not disturb the quiet hall.

 

“I should let you go, don’t want your food to get soggy.” Junhui’s eyes flickered down to Tzuyu’s takeout box then back up to her, and he couldn’t stop himself from chuckling at her small pout. “We’ll see each other tomorrow, so don’t pout too much, you baby,” Junhui took Tzuyu’s glare in stride as he pulled her close, kissing her between her knitted brows before bending slightly to put his food down so he could cup her face with both hands.

 

“This is nerve-wracking…” Junhui swallowed dryly before finally pulling even closer, pressing his lips to Tzuyu’s. They kept it chaste—simply lips pressing against each other, much akin to a kiss from a drama— what with how awkward the two still were, but that didn’t change the fact that the kiss made them feel something. That something filled their chests and warmed them both from the inside out; no sparks nor butterflies needed, just warmth and wholeness.

 

Once the two pulled away from the kiss, Tzuyu placed her food down as well before wrapping her arms around Junhui as he did to her in a tight hug. They promised once again to meet each other tomorrow, and before Junhui officially left, Tzuyu made him promise to text her once he got to his dorm safely. Junhui smiled big and bright and agreed, turning just before he was meant to walk around the corner, finally Tzuyu still watching him go. He waved at her, big and dramatic just as before, and to no surprise, Tzuyu returned the parting without a single thought, her own smile big and wide.

 

✰✰✰

 

**my hero:** i’m back & i’m not happy abt it

 

**choutzuyu:** tell me about it

**choutzuyu:** dahyun & chaeng invited all the girls over & now they won’t stop bugging me

 

**my hero:** i just want to say...i never thought you could fit 13 grown ass men into a 2-person dorm

**my hero:** i’ve never been so upset by a sausage fest in my life

 

**choutzuyu:** everyone saw that and they’re laughing at you

**choutzuyu:** including me

 

**my hero:** my friends saw that and now i have more ppl laughing at me

 

**choutzuyu:** [laughing emojis]

**choutzuyu:**  ugh, i have to go [eye rolling emojis]

**choutzuyu:** i like you a lot [heart emoji]

**choutzuyu:** night

 

**my hero:** i

**my hero:** kfclkjls

**my hero:** I LUV U

**my hero:** UR THE LOML

**my hero:** jfkldlj’cidl

**my hero sent an audio message**

**my hero:** DON’T LISTEN TO THAT

**my hero:** i’m abt to commit MURDER

**my hero:** but same

**my hero:** night [heart emojis]

 

**choutzuyu:** [laughing emojis]

**choutzuyu:** fijkledls

**choutzuyu:** LOVE YOU MORE BABE

**choutzuyu sent an audio message**

**choutzuyu:** guess we’re going to prison together

**choutzuyu:** unless we don’t get caught, which can be arranged

**choutzuyu:** also, please don’t listen to that

 

**my hero:** we love a couple that commits crimes together

**my hero sent an image**

**my hero sent an image**

 

**choutzuyu:** we practically saved romance

**choutzuyu:** bonnie & clyde could never

**choutzuyu sent an image**

 

**my hero:** tzuyu & jun outsold

**my hero:** fkjljedlefie

**my hero:** oH NO

**my hero:** GOTTA GO

**my hero:** LOVE YOU, SEE YOU TOMORROW, NIGHT

 

**choutzuyu:** [laughing emojis]

**choutzuyu:** ily2

**choutzuyu:** night [heart emojis]

**Author's Note:**

> i struggled a lot with writing this because i didn't know what i wanted the theme to be. i originally had the theme of fascination which was also the title, but it ended up becoming more than fascination so i had to scramble to remove all of the nods to that while also trying to think of something else lmao i hate coming up with titles tbh
> 
> also, the ending text bit was a really last minute decision bc i saw that the fic was almost at 10k words which was something i've never done before, so i desperately wanted to reach that mark jkfldfjd though i did inevitably have to go back and add some lines in the beginning to reach it properly without overdoing the texting at the end
> 
> BUT enough rambling from me,,,,, ;;
> 
> anyways:  
> my main twitter: @verchaeng  
> my nsfw twitter: @aegicheols (it's private bc of sfw twt but feel free to follow anyways)  
> hope you enjoyed ♡


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